Typographical slug casting machine and matrix therefor



9 H. ELLIS 8 9 TYPOGRAPHICAL SLUG CASTING MACHINE AND MATRlX THEREFOR Filed Aug. 18, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 AWE/Wok. W deed- H ELLIS Filed Aug. 18, 19:58 ZSheets-Sheet 2 Flax? Avr l/ am TYPOGRAPHICAL SLUG CASTING MACHINE AND MATRIX THEREFOR Feb. 6, 1940.

Patented Feb. 6,

Herbert Ellis, Shanghai, China, assignor t o-Linotype and Machinery Limited, LondomEnglahd I Application August 18, 1938, Serial'No. 225,526 In Great Britain April 21, 1938 h v p 17" cl im (01. 199-47) invention relates-to typographical slug form such as a cube or flat square plate), and this casting machines and matrices therefor.

In preparing a slug or typebar in known mae chines molten metal is cast in a mould slot plate or block is adapted to co-act with anotherv element so that the two together have an external shape or'configurationsuitable for use in the pressed against the edges or faces of matrices slug casting machine forwhich they are desired; 15

composed in a line, the plane edge or face of each The element with which the matrix plate or block matrix-having a recess, known as a routing notch, co-acts may be in the form of a holder of fullextending thereacross and a character indentaline length adapted to receive aplurality of such tion' in the base of this recess. The mould lips plates or blocks, and the final external cross-.-

10 meet the plane surfaces'of the matrices and sectional. shape or configuration resulting from "10 clearly therefore the slugcast'has on its surface this assembly maybe any of the known shapes a stepped portion formed in-the matrix recesses, used in casting machines of the: character in andcharacters corresponding to the character question or ,of any other convenient shape, deindentations upstanding from the stepped porpending upon the form of casting machine being tion. "The cost and labour of manufacturing used. To facilitate assembly, the external ele- -1 matrices is increased by the existence of the mentor holder may be formed of parts, separable v above-mentioned recess in the base of which the or loosely interconnected but adapted .to be character indentation is provided, and this is pressed and/or locked together after insertion more especially true in respect offmatrices of of the matrix plat'esor blocks; and mutually inlarge size and'of matrices carrying characters in terlocking devices, such as co-acting'tongues and 20 other 'thanArabic script. grooves, may be provided on the holder and the "As examples of cases in whichfsuch matrices matrix plates or blocks. It will be noted that p are required there may be mentioned, ideograph on 'a-ccount'of the simple geometric form of the characters, such as used in Chinese and Japanese matrix plates or blocks they can be set in the printing, and decorations, such as employed in 1 external holder in either of two orientations, 25

printing borders and the like. The casting of each of which can be arrived at by turningthe slugsvfrom such matrices is not unusually effected plate or block through 90 fromthe other orienby composing the matrix line by hand and subtation,'the character remaining in its own plane sequently presentingthe line, with or withoutthe during such'turning; This possibility is of some holder or stick in which it 'is composed, to a importancewhen the invention is used in con- 30 machine adapted to. cast metal I thereagainst. nectionwith ideograph characters, such as Chi- Onesuch machine is well known under the regisnese characters, which may be desired in horitered trade-mark Linotype as an all-purzo-ntalor vertical arrangement in the slug being pose machine, and the present invention is more cast.

particularly, although not "exclusively directed to The invention will be clearly understood fro 35 the operation of machines of that kind and of the following description of one form (given, matrices used therein. I however, merelyby way ,of example) which it It will be appreciated that in orderfor the line may assume, and this description will be more to beproperly held and aligned in the machine readily followed by reference to the accompany- 0 the over-all section or shape of the matrices or ingdrawings, whereinp". 40 matrix line must be-suitable'to co-act with co- Figure 1 representsa perspective view of a ope i e ts of the machine, and n fa t holder for matrix blocksaccording to the inventhere are known, for use in machines of the H abofe'mentioned f kind matrices of Figures 2 and 3 represent respectively a back j shapes Smtabl? therefor 51,1011 elevation and a side sectional view'of the'holder traces are open to the manufacturing d1sadvanshown in Figure 1 Figure 3 being a, View along tage noted above that the character indentation j isn ade in the base of a recess in the characterthe hne ofrFl-gure' I j h fame thereof v v Figures 4 and 5 represent respectively in per- .30 I The object of the present invention is to over- F Y a Spacer .block and m come thesedisadvantages, and with this. 'end in socmtlon 9 9 thel wlth the view, according to the invention, a matrix charholder Shown m Flgure being repre" .acter indentation is provided on a plane surface Sented' as a block carrying chmese character rather than in a recess in the face, of a plate or indentation); I I l 5 block .(which is preferably of simple geometric s refi represents. an n pv 0 h l e drawings as suitable for use with a machine shown in Figure 1 with a line of matrix blocks assembled therein;

Figures 7, 8 and 9 represent respectively a plan view, a longitudinal side view, and an-end secdetails of the invention."

In carrying the invention into effect in one convenient manner, shown]. in the accompanying known, under the registered trade-mark Linotype, as an all-purpose machine, the general procedure in casting a slug may be similar 'tothat. described in the specification of U. S. A. Patent No. 2,023,557. The embodiment of the present invention now being referred to will be described. with reference to the casting of a slug containing" Chinese characters in such a machine. 7

The character indentations are formed in any convenient way on the plane face of a square plate or block a. (Figure 3) the sides of which have grooves 2) extending round the periphery. A holder for a line of'these matrix blocks a is shown in Figures 1, 2, 3 and 6, and is in the form of a substantially U-shaped channel-led. member, one of the side walls 0 being separate fromthe L-shaped portion (1 formed by the base and the other side wall, but having lugs in the form of plates e secured thereto byscrews f projecting from its bottom into guide grooves gin the;outer surface of the base proper and these lugs having pins h which engage with bridge pie'cesi screwed across the guiding grooves y to prevent. separation of the parts. -Oompression springs is between the contiguousfaces of these portions 0, d, normally hold them apart to the limit defined by the stopping pins h (thus temporarily widening the channel ofthe U-shaped. holder), but the portions can berpressed to-. gether (and, if desired, held together byany suitable locking means such as a'detent) when the line of matrix blocks has been assembled in the holder; Ribs Z are provided on the inner faces of the side walls of the holder to engage in the grooves. b in the sides of the matrix blocks a when the holder portions are pressed together,

thus locating and holding the matrix blocks in position. The side walls of the holder are suffrciently deep to extend above the plane surfaces 1 of the matrix blocks (as shown in Figure 6), and thus when a line is assembled they are equivalent ends of a line may be similar to matrix blocks tothe side walls of the recess or routing notch in a matrix of known shape with the character indented in the plane bottom face of therecess. Spacer members m (Figure 4) ,for closing the but are deeper so that their upper surfaces (which do not, of course, carry a character indentation), when they areassembled, lie flush with the upper faces of the side walls of the holder. a. The spacers may be grooved on only two opposite sides, as shownin Figure 4, instead of on all four sides which is the case for the. matrix blocks when carrying Chinese. characters (Figure 5).

Externally the holder may be of such shape (as shown in Figure fi), that when the matricesare assembled therein the cross-section of the. whole is identical with that of a known matrix, such as that shown in Figure 9 of. specification No. 2,023,557. This external shape is of importance only insofar as it is required in the machine in which the slug is being cast and may, therefore,

varyto many other shapesye. that shown in Figure 9 of the above-mentioned specification N0.

2,023,557. It will be noted that onaccount of the side groove b forlocating the matrix blocks in the holder extending fully round the periphery, the blocks can be assembled side-by-side in either of two orientations corresponding to their relative vertical or horizontal positionsv on the cast slug. This isa matter of'some importance in casting slugs from ideograph character matrices, such as Chinese. When aline of matrices and spacers has been assembled by placing them directly in the holder and-thereafter pressing the holder portions together in the manner described above, the whole may be presented directly to'the machine (if the.

machine. is such-as to deal directly with an as-. sembledamatrix line) or it may be'placed in a hand-stick. Conveniently the form of handstick employed, if the slug is beingcast in a Linotypejall,-purpose machine, may be that shown in Figures. '5 to 9 herewith corresponding toFigures '13 and 14 of specification No. 2,023,557,

the holder carryingthe assembled line ofmatrix blocks. being adapted to fit. into the. stick.

in placeof the matricesthereinshown,and the matrix blocks and holderbeing longitudinally clamped bythe screw clamping plate n illustratedv v herein; The stick is thereafter presented to the machine in known :manner. It willbe undere stood that any other convenient form'of handstick may be employed according: to the cross section of the holder and to the kind of machinebeing used.

In order to facilitate removal of the holder and matrices from the stick; after casting two aper-.--

tures o may be provided through th'e base'of the stick, and there may be provided on the machine, I

e. g., by screwing a plate 10 (Figure 10) thereon,

two studs 1", (Whichmay have rubber or fibre head portions; as shown) spaced to correspond Y to the apertures in the stick. Upstanding; plates s may be provided adjacent to these studs sothat by holding the handstick with its edges against these plates the apertures 0 stand over the studs t 7 and. a downward movement of thestick (the clamping plate n thereof being released) results in'ejection of the holder.

. In order to facilitate the assembling of the q matrix blocks a loosely in the holder before the latter is closed, a tray-like member 15' (Figure 11) maybe employed, comprising abase substantially of the same size'and shape as holder, having two upstanding contiguous side walls. This is conveniently held in. the hand, with thematrix holder therein, during assembly, the up: standing end wall a preventing-the loosely inserted matrix blocks from sliding 0ut. It should be understood that theinvention is not restricted to the arrangement in which matrix blocks can only be assembled as a line, but can as readily be employed for casting a slug from one,or from a small number of matrix blocks. Further the invention is notrestricted to. matrix blocks with ideograph or other characters,

but may be employed with matrices having any kind of character-thereon, and not necessarily adopted without departing in any way from the scope of the invention.

Having described my invention I declare that what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patcm is:

I. In or for a typographical slug casting machine a matrix in the form of an element having geometric shape having a plane face, a character indentation on saidplane face, and grooves in side faces adjacent to said plane, character- .bearing face of the block. a

4. In or for a'typographical slug casting machine a matrix in theform. of an element having a character indentation on one face thereof and so shaped that it can'be associated with adjacent matrices, to form a matrix line, in either of two orientations distinguished from one another by rotational displacement about an axis per-' pendicular to the character-bearing face of the element. 1

5. In or for a typographical slug chine a matrix according to claim 4 provided with co-acting means for engagement in a matrix holder which permit engagement in either of the two specified orientations.

6. In or for a typographical slug casting machine a matrix in the form of an element having a plane face with a character indentation thereon, incombination with a holder therefor shaped externally to co-act with the normal line holding and locating members of the machine.

7. In or for a typographical slug casting machine amatrix holder comprising asubstantially iJ -shaped member adapted to hold between its parallel limbs a matrix in the form of an element having a plane face with a characterindentation thereon.

8. In or for a typographical slug casting machine a matrix holder comprising a substantially U-shaped member the parallel limbs of whichare movable towards and away from one another, and

are formed with elements constituting part of an'interlocking connection between said holder and a matrix element insertable therein between the parallel limbs. I

casting ma- 1 9. A matrix holder according to claim 8 wherein the upstanding limbs of the U-shaped member are urged apart by spring means to the limit determined by stop means in the mutually engaging parts associated with said limbs.

10. A matrix holder according to claim 8 wherein said limbs comprise each a tongue or rib projecting into the channel between the limbs and adapted to engage corresponding grooves in a matrix block assembled in the holder.

11. In or for a typographical slug casting machine the combination of a matrix block having a plane face with a character indentation there- 1 on, and a holder therefor, of such shape in crosssection that the cross-section of the combination is substantially identical with the cross-section of a normal matrix suitable for the machine in question.

' 12. In or for a typographical slug casting machine a plurality of matrix blocks, a holder therefor, and a handstick adapted to receive and clamp said holder with the blocks therein.

7 13. For use in the combination claimed in claim 12 a handstick having an aperture in the base thereof to facilitate ejection of said holder after a slug has been cast.

14. For use in the combination claimed in claim 12 a handstick having an aperture in the base thereof to facilitate ejection of said holder after a slug has been cast, a projection on the machine and means such as upstanding plates arranged adjacent to said projection to facilitate said'aperture is in register with said projection.

15. For use in assembling matrix elements, in a holder according to claim 7, a tray-like support having an upstanding edge adapted to" prevent 'the elements from dropping out of one end of the U-shaped holder during assembly.

16. In or for a typographical slug casting, ma-

' chine, a matrix holder formed in its casting face with a groove or recess, and a matrix element arranged in said groove or recess and having a plane casting face set back with reference to face. I

-l' 7. In or for a typographical slug casting machine, an elongated matrix holder formed in its casting face with a longitudinal groove or recess,

and, a series of flat plates arranged in said recess with the casting face of the holder. I

HERBERT ELLIS. 

